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(No Model.) Y C. lSHJEIPARDSGNl I SWINGING CHAIR. No. 358,701. l Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

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arnnr CORNELIUS SHEPARDSON, 0F GAZENOVIA, NEW YORK.

SWINGING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358.701, dated March l, 1887.

Application tiled November 23,1886. Serial No. 919,566. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS SHEPARD- SON, of Cazenovia, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Swinging Chairs, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in a novel organizationof a swinging chair having its members hinged to each other and connected to suspending-ropes in such a manner as to allow the occupant of the chair to assume either a sitting or reclining posture and automatically conform the chair to said posture.

-In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my invention in a reclining position, a portion of the cover forming the seat and back being torn away to show the construction of the frame; and Fig. 2 is aside view showing my invention converted into the fprm of a suspended chair.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A A represent the two side rails ofthe seatframe, which rails are connected only at the front by the cross-rail B.

C C are the two side rails of the back-frame, which rails are hinged to the rear ends of the rails A A, and are framed together at their upper ends by a cross-rail, D. The entire space from the said crossrail to the cross-rail B, at the front of the seat, is devoid of intermediate cross-rails, which feature is important in the operation and use of the combined chair and hammock formed by my invention, inasmuch as the seat and back proper is composed of a single piece of canvas or cloth, or other snitable flexible materiahextending from the front cross-rail, B, of the seat-frame to the top crossrail, D, of the back-frame and tacked onto said cross-rails and onto the side rails, A A and C C, and in throwing the chair into a reclining position or conversely from the latter position to that of a chair, the cloth cover readily conforms to the back of the occupant.

a a represent the side rails of the foot-rest, hinged to the front end of the side rails, A A, of the seat-frame and formed with rearward extensions, a.

Z1 b are articulated arms, one of which is rigidly attached to the side rail, a, of the footrest and the other arm is pivoted on the side rail, C, of the back-frame, and thus the back is compelled to conform to the movement of the foot-rest.

c c denote side guard-rails, and d a front guardrail, which latter lies with its ends across the ends of the side guard-rails. All of said guard-rails are perforated at their ends andn supported on tubular posts e e, and secured to the seat-frame by the suspending-ropes f f. There are two sets of suspending-ropes connected to opposite sides of the chair. Each set being composed of three ropes, f, f,.and g. rlhe rope f passes through the perforated crossing ends of the aforesaid guard-rails at the front of the seat and through the tubular post e, and loosely through the seat-frame near the front thereof, and is firmly secured to the rearward projection a of the foot-rest. The other rope, f', passes through the rear end of the guard-rail c and subjacent post c, and is secured to the seat-frame near the back.

To the upper portions of the ropes fj" is connected aslide or adjustable block, l1, and from this block is extended the rope g, the lower end of which is attached to the upper part of the back-frame.

The described construction and combination of parts allow the occupant of the apparatus to throw the same from the form of a chair into the form of a hammock by simply assuming a reclining position and relieving the footrest from the pressure of the feet; and the occupant can readily restore the apparatus to its chair form by assuming a sitting posture and pressing on the foot-rest, the latter. drawing the back into an upright position by means of the arms b b.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. In a swinging chair, the combination of a seat-frame, a back-frame hinged to said seatframe, a foot-rest hinged to the front of the seat-frame and provided with rearward projections, and two sets of suspending ropes ICO foot-rest, another rope being attached to the Side of the seat-frame, near the back thereof, and the third rope being attached to the upper portion of the back-frame and adjustably connected with the upper portions of the other ropes, substantially as described and shown.

posts and seat-frame and` connected to the rearward projection of the foot-rest, another rope of each set passing through the guardrails and rear posts and attached to the seatframe near the back, and a third rope of each set attached to the upper part of the backframe and adj ustably connected to the upper portions of the other ropes, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and afiixed my seal, in the presence of two attesti-ng witnesses, at Gazenovia, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, this 15th day of November, 1886.

CORNELIUS SHEPARDSON. [L SJ t Witnesses:

WILLi'AM W. HEATH, .ALrHEUs J. TALBOT. 

